To ‘EDUCATE’ this teacher?

[Misinformation]

DS has Type 1 diabetes. He has to put up with stupid comments like ‘did you eat too much sugar’ regularly.

At school today, a boy asked him this. Teacher nearby started telling him what Type 1 is and he asked if anyone could get it and could you get it randomly.

Teacher said No which DS was quite pissed of about as it seems to imply he’s done something to get it or it’s in his genes (it’s not). He’s not the type to correct a teacher so I think I should?

Quite annoyed as if you’re going to educate someone, do it correctly!

Kid asked if you can get it randomly, can anyone get it.

Teacher said 'no' without any further discussion or elaboration.

To me, this is a busy person dealing with a PITA kid. She was shutting it down to get back to the lesson, her meeting, her marking, whatever.

I'm surprised your 14 year old kid didn't speak up if he was so upset. Even if it was quietly to the teacher afterwards. And I'm surprised you're so cross about it too. As a teacher, the tone of your email would determine whether I read it or deleted it without reading.

OP I wasn’t there so can’t comment on what the teacher meant but in all honestly it sounds like they were trying to move things on in a calm way. I’d advise not going in all guns blazing as I’m not sure what you’ll get from it other than a sense of satisfaction. Perhaps clarify things but as for ‘EDUCATE’ I can only foresee that being interpreted as a really hostile approach to be filed under ‘FFS!’

This is a pretty good explanation

www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/208-meiosis-inheritance-and-variation

and if that child was being a wind up merchant, it was better the teacher shut them down without properly engaging. If the child wasn’t asking genuinely, not sure any level of education would have helped.

No, you're exactly correct.

Some of these posts 😬 forget biology, they don't understand English!

@Sidslaw

I'm impressed with your calm perseverance on this thread!

Ok, am I wildly misinformed in thinking all genes are inherited, in pairs, from both parents? Therefore how can a genetic predisposition be spontaneous?

No, you're exactly correct.

Some of these posts 😬 forget biology, they don't understand English!

Ahem. Sorry @EarringsandLipstick, but you're wrong there, as is pp.

Spontaneous mutuaions - copying errors - arise all the time in our cells, we all have them in our bodies. Sometimes they have negative consequences, sometimes they don't.

If they occur in the germline ( ie egg or sperm cells) they can be subsequently passed on to offspring, ie inherited. So a new spontaneous 'change' can occur in the DNA of sperm or egg that can then be passed on. They're called de novo mutations.

OP, you’re massively over sensitive as is your son.

I'm not being obtuse.

Your annoyance at the teacher stems from her telling the kids that this is not a disease that occurs randomly.
You maintain it does occur randomly simply because we don't know who will get it.

However, that is not the meaning of the word random when it comes to inherited disease. No matter how much you insist it is, it is not.

And I'm sorry. I know it's a very emotive subject. My kids also have conditions where they inherited a 'likelihood ' of developing a condition (they unfortunately did develop it).
Loads of people do.

Having a probable genetic predisposition to T1 diabetes does not make it any more your DS's 'fault' than a virus alone causing the damage does.
And alluding to these types of predispositions doesn't mean his teacher was implying there was something 'inherently wrong' with your DS as you seem to be thinking?
In truth they are just part of being human. Every single one of us is predisposed to something or other and it's not a character weakness.

For some reason I don't fully understand (guilt?) you want what happened to your DS to be a totally random occurrence. Just a chance encounter with a virus, and nothing at all to do with his DNA.

But it's very unlikely that's the case.
And that's not his teachers fault and what she said was not wrong.

I thought so too

wrong - I inherited the cancer. You are using the term "inherited" inaccurately.

Please see this page from Cancer Research UK.

Family history and inherited cancer GENES

@Marynotsocontrary

Thanks for that - interesting, and clearly explained.

However the poster I & another replied to said:

you need the genetic predisposition, which may or may not have been inherited

That sentence, linguistically, does not make sense, and having read your post, is not the same as what you said.

I think your sensitivity to your child’s condition has maybe made you overreact to this. People do have preconceived ideas of what a condition looks like. For example I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I’ve had comments ranging from “You’re too young to have arthritis” to “Sure we all gets aches and pains!” I wouldn’t go educating the teacher on purpose. Sounds like the teacher meant well. If the situation arises and it’s the topic of conversation you could gently tell her a little more about the condition.

I think you are over thinking this. Just let it go. Teacher was likely just trying to defuse the situation.

It does make linguistic sense.
I'm sorry, my earlier post was probably a bit confusing. It was the first part of it that was relevant really.

Humans grow. They also replace their cells all the time. Copying of DNA is going on all over the body all the time. Copying errors(mutations) can arise at any stage, sometimes for no apparent reason at all, sometimes external factors are involved.They can cause various medical conditions, skin cancer is an example. If the mutations don't occur in the germline they are not inherited.

I know mutation is an emotive word but it is not meant as such. It is very normal. It happens to everybody.

How serious these mutations are depend on when and where they occur. Their effects vary from negligible to detrimental. Sometimes (very rarely) they bring benefit. DNA changes that occur very early on in development, when a person is just a cluster of cells, have the potential to affect much of the body.

When genetic predisposition is spoken of it, yes, mostly this will be referring to DNA you've inherited. However the possibility can't be ruled out that an individual has a change in their DNA that occured at some stage during their development or during their lifetime (ie was not inherited) and that this change has contributed to their condition. It happens.

Mary not at all, your posts are very clear & interesting - knew none of this!

But the final paragraph where you go back to the term 'genetic predisposition', it doesn't seem that's what you're saying - as you conclude with a reference to spontaneous change to DNA, which seems linguistically incompatible with the 'predisposition' aspect!

(But I recognise I know little to nothing here so am happy to take your word for it!)

@EarringsandLipstick
Genetic predisposition just means the genes (DNA) that are in your body at the time a condition develops and how that DNA influences the development of the condition. Most of the DNA patterns in your cells will have been passed down from parents, but some novel mutations may have occured in that DNA during your lifetime too. The changes become part of your DNA (in one or more parts of the body) and thus can be part of what predisposes you to a condition.

Thanks @Marynotsocontrary I've learnt a lot!

It is confusing and nuanced too. Changes occur to DNA during skin cancer development but I wouldn't call that genetic predisposition, so I do see your point. Because the changes are considered part of the process I suppose?

But other changes in DNA I would include. So say, for example, you had a copy error early on in development that ultimately resulted in less melanin in your skin cells. That would be an example of a non- inherited condition that would make you genetically more disposed to develop skin cancer.
But it is nuanced for sure

It must be tough being the parent of a kid with diabetes, but I would regard this is a battle I’m not going to win. Firstly, the kid might have missed reported it which often happens in school.

I agree with the majority that the other pupil was asking if it’s contagious and the teacher responded in a way that meant it wasn’t

Loads of people on here think it sounds like the other kid wanted to know if he could catch it.

Don't you think the teacher might've interpreted it that way too op?

I think I'd just delete your email if you were ticking me off for a situation you weren't present for, about a communication with a pupil you don't know, especially if you're 'education' was patronising.

No, type 2 is not genetic and people can become any type of diabetic at any age. The diabetic community don't know why they have become diabetic. It's not all eating your way into type 2.

Type 2 is actually more "genetic" than type 1! Although there are now genetic tests for late onset Type 1
When i was in hospital last year I was constantly asked if i had I had diabetes in the family. I was hospitalized with DK without A and infections. BS over 26 and Keytones
They spent ages trying to work out whether i was type 1 or 2 and the questions for type 1 was do i have anyone with any immune disorders.